
In the winter of 1849 Victoria’s quiet harbor is pierced by a ragged procession of gold‑hungry wanderers. They arrive with heavy boots, pick‑axes and tiny nuggets clutched in leather bags, demanding provisions from the Hudson’s Bay Company while keeping their true purpose tightly sealed. Chief trader Roderick Finlayson watches the uneasy exchange, aware that these “Argonauts” threaten the fragile balance between trappers and traders on the island.
Rumors of glittering veins and hidden streams soon spread through the forts, igniting a feverish quest that will draw men from California to the remote interior of British Columbia. As the prospectors sift sand for specks of gold and the company grapples with a new, uncertain economy, a restless spirit of adventure begins to stir. The stage is set for a perilous trek along the Cariboo Trail, where ambition, wilderness and the promise of fortune will test every traveler who dares to follow the glittering call.
Full title
The Cariboo Trail A Chronicle of the Gold-fields of British Columbia
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (135K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Al Haines
Release date
2009-09-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1871–1936
A Canadian-born writer who turned frontier history into vivid popular storytelling, she wrote widely about western North America and the Hudson's Bay Company. Her career also ranged through journalism, fiction, and social work.
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